Metrology of thin film devices using an addressable micromirror array

ABSTRACT

An addressable micromirror array is employed in conjunction with circuit topology navigation software to rapidly wavelength sample selected measurement points in an integrated circuit region.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/388,173 filed Feb. 18, 2009 entitled METROLOGY OF THIN FILM DEVICESUSING AN ADDRESSABLE By Edgar Genio, et al., which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/197,265, filed Oct. 23, 2008.All of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND

Fabrication of thin film products such as microelectronic integratedcircuits is enhanced by periodic measurements of key characteristics ofthe product during the fabrication process, enabling on-going processadjustments to enhance quality and yield. A prominent characteristic tobe measured is thin film thickness at or around a specific location or aspecific circuit element. Measurements of such characteristics as filmthickness are best made by analyzing the wavelength spectrum of lightreflected from the feature or location of interest on the workpiece orwafer. How to infer a measurement of a quantity such as film thicknessfrom the wavelength spectrum is known. Many measurements may be desiredduring the processing of each individual wafer, so that the timerequired to perform each measurement reduces productivity. Suchmeasurements must be made at predetermined precise locations (i.e., atuser-selected devices in the integrated circuit, for example). Opticalapparatus employed to capture a wavelength spectrum reflected from aspecific or user-selected device or feature in the integrated circuitmust be accurately focused on the exact location of that device orfeature. The problem is that the movement or re-directing of the opticalapparatus from one selected device to the next in the integrated circuitrequires a significant amount of time. The movement must be precise andeach selected feature must be located within an array of hundreds ofthousands of features included in the integrated circuit.

One way this can be accomplished is to capture a digitized planarspatial image of a larger region of the integrated circuit that is mostlikely to contain the selected feature or device. This larger region maybe a die or a portion of a die, and the precise location of the selectedfeature within the region is as yet unknown. Special pattern recognitionalgorithms are then employed to analyze the planar spatial image of theintegrated circuit using the circuit design layout used to fabricate theintegrated circuit. This analysis produces the exact location in theimage of the selected circuit feature or device. This location may bespecified as an exact X-Y location or a picture element (pixel) in thedigital image. The optics is then used re-positioned to focus reflectedlight from the exact location discovered by the pattern recognitionalgorithm onto a diffraction grating. The spectrum of light emitted bythe diffraction grating forms a wavelength-distributed intensity patternalong an axis of the grating, and this intensity pattern is focused ontoa line sensor such as a charge coupled device (CCD) line imager. Theoutput of the imager provides the reflection spectrum from the selectedfeature. Special wavelength analysis algorithms are employed to analyzethis spectrum and infer from it a measured characteristic of theselected feature, such as thin film thickness for example. A limitationof this approach is that the mechanical re-positioning of the optics toeach precisely determined location on the wafer is time consuming andmust be performed for each successive measurement.

Another more sophisticated way in which thin film measurements atuser-selected locations may be performed is to employ a spectral mappingand analysis of the entire region containing the user-selected feature.This latter approach eliminates the need to mechanically re-position theoptics after capturing the image of the larger region. Specifically, thewavelength spectrum of each pixel of a large region most likely tocontain the user-selected circuit feature is first obtained. Each row ofpixels in the spatial image is passed through a line spectrometergrating whose output is focused on a CCD line sensor, producing columnsof intensity values sorted by wavelength. This involves mapping each rowof pixels in the spatial image into plural columns (one for each spatialimage pixel) of spectral intensity values. Special algorithms analyzethe spectra of all the pixels in the image of the large region and notecontrasts in wavelength responses between different spatial regions.These contrasts point to boundaries between adjacent regions eachcontaining common circuit features that differ from the common circuitfeatures of the adjoining region. The locations of these boundaries maybe correlated to the circuit design layout used to fabricate theintegrated circuit. This correlation provides a precise mapping oflocations in the image of the large region of the integrated circuit tofeatures in the circuit design layout. From this mapping, the locationof the user-selected feature or device is immediately deduced,identifying the exact pixel in the image of this feature. The wavelengthspectrum of that pixel was previously obtained during the prioracquisition of the wavelength spectra of all pixels in the image of thelarge region. Therefore, the spectra of the identified pixel is simplyfetched and provided for use by a special wavelength analysis algorithmsto analyze this spectrum and infer from it a measured characteristic ofthe selected feature, such as thin film thickness for example. Whilethis second approach eliminates the need for any mechanicalrepositioning of the optics or to focus the optics on any particularpixel, it is limited because the initial step of processing an array ofwavelength spectra of all pixels in the image of the large region iscomputational intensive and represents a very large burden.

What is needed is a way of rapidly measuring plural user-selectedcircuit features on a wafer without having to re-position optics to eachfeature location and without imposing a large computational burden.

SUMMARY

A wafer metrology system includes a camera and an addressablemicromirror array both focused on a wafer. The system performs ameasurement at a selected location or point on the surface of asemiconductor wafer having thin film features formed in accordance withan integrated circuit design. The system acquires a two-dimensionalspatial image of a region of the wafer surface containing the selectedpoint. The system processes the spatial image of the region withreference to the integrated circuit design and with reference to theselected location, to determine at least one pixel of the spatial imagecontaining or adjacent the selected location. The system focuses anaddressable micromirror array onto the region whereby individualmicromirrors of the array receive light from corresponding individualareas of the selected region, the selected areas corresponding torespective pixels of the spatial image. The system correlates the onepixel with at least one of the micromirrors of the array and orients theat least one micromirror to reflect light from the wafer surface to awavelength separation element to generate a wavelength-dispersed image.The system directs the remaining micromirrors to not reflect light fromthe wafer surface to the wavelength separation element. A spectral imageprocessor processes the wavelength dispersed image to deduce the valueof a selected characteristic at the selected location of the surface ofthe wafer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention are attained and can be understood in detail, a moreparticular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, maybe had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated inthe appended drawings. It is to be appreciated that certain well knownprocesses are not discussed herein in order to not obscure theinvention.

FIG. 1A illustrates a wafer metrology system in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 1B is an exploded view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1Aincluding the wafer.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hierarchy of processors in thesystem of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 5 depicts a wafer metrology system in accordance with a relatedembodiment.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of oneembodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments withoutfurther recitation. It is to be noted, however, that the appendeddrawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this invention and aretherefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the inventionmay admit to other equally effective embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer102 is supported on a pedestal or table 104. An addressable digitalmicromirror array 106 faces the wafer 102. The micromirror array 106 maybe a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) by Texas Instruments Incorporated,and is available through Digital Light Innovations (DLI), 3201Industrial Terrace, Suite 120, Austin, Tex. 78758. The micromirror array106 has an array 108 of many micromirrors 110, the micromirrors beingclosely spaced so as to provide roughly 70% area coverage. Themicromirror array 106 further includes a mirror control layer 112 behindthe micromirrors 110, the control layer 112 consisting of actuators 114depicted in the exploded partial view of FIG. 1B for controlling theorientation of each one of the micromirrors 110 individually. Theactuators 114 may, for example, be electronic or electrooptical devices,each actuator 114 individually coupled to (or integrated with) acorresponding one of the micromirrors 110. The micromirrors 110 may bearranged generally in a plane in periodically spaced rows and columns,the actuators 114 in the control layer 112 being similarly arranged. Theactuators 114 are individually addressable, for example by row andcolumn decoders 120, 122, respectively, so that the orientation of eachmicromirror 110 may be individually controlled.

The micromirror array 106 reflects light from a selected area 130 on thewafer 102 to a wavelength separation element 132. The wavelengthseparation element 132 may be a diffraction grating or a prism, forexample, and will be referred to hereinafter as a grating. A focuselement (e.g., a lens assembly) 134 focuses light reflected from theselected area 130 onto the micromirror array 106, so that (as indicatedin FIG. 1B) light from each image element or pixel 136 in the selectedarea 130 is directed to a corresponding one of the micromirrors 110.Each micromirror 110 is initially oriented to direct that light to thesame point 132 a on the grating 132. The light incident on the point 132a of the grating 132 is converted to a line image or spectrum ofintensities distributed by wavelength, this line image being captured byan optical sensor 140 which may be a CCD line imager. The spectrum orline image captured by the line imager 140 is output to a spectrum imageprocessor 142. The spectrum image processor 142 employs conventionalalgorithms to measure a characteristic (such as thin film thickness)from the spectrum or wavelength distribution of intensities representedby the output of the line sensor 140.

A camera vision system or microscope 150 consisting of a lens system 152and a two-dimensional CCD image sensor 154 has a field of view focusedon the selected area 130 of the wafer 102. The two-dimensional spatialimage of the selected area 130 is captured by the image sensor 154 andfed as data to an in-image navigation processor 156 having a memory 158containing data representing the circuit design layout of the integratedcircuitry on the surface of the wafer 102. The in-image navigationprocessor 156 is capable of identifying the precise location of auser-selected circuit feature within the two-dimensional image of theselected area 130 captured by the microscope. Specifically, the in-imagenavigation processor 156 can identify the particular one of the pixels136 representing the selected area 130 that contains the user-selectedcircuit feature. The in-image navigation processor 156 may employgeometric pattern recognition software sold by Cognex Corporation ofNatick, Massachussetts. The camera vision system 150 may be obtainedfrom Cognex Corporation.

In one embodiment, the micromirror array 106 may be controlled by acontrol processor 160. The control processor 160 may also control theoptical apparatus of the camera vision system 150 (specifically, thelens system 152) and the focusing lens system 134, in order to ensurethat both the camera vision system 150 and the micromirror array 106 arefocused on the same selected area 130 of the wafer 102. Once thein-image navigation processor 156 identifies the particular one of thepixels 136 containing the user-selected circuit feature, the controlprocessor 160 uses this information to direct all of the micromirrors110 away from the grating 132 except for the one micromirror focused onthe pixel identified by the in-image navigation processor 156. Forexample, in FIG. 1B, the pixel 136′ may be the one identified by thein-image navigation processor 156. In this case, the control processor160 sends commands through the row and column decoders 120, 122 (FIG.1A) to direct all the micromirrors 110 away from the grating 132 withthe exception of the micromirror 110′ that is focused on the pixel 136′.The control processor 160 then directs the spectrum image processor 142to fetch the spectrum image data from the line sensor 140 and processthat data to compute the desired measured quantity such as filmthickness.

No movement of optical lens assemblies is required once the image of thedesired selected area 130 has been acquired by the camera vision system150 and by the micromirror array 106. Many different circuit featuresselected by the user within the area 130 may be measured or analyzed inrapid succession without any mechanical movement of lenses or opticalassemblies. The only motion required is performed by micromirroractuators 114, which are virtually instantaneous compared to the slowtime response of actuators required to move optical lens assemblies.Moreover, spectral decomposition and wavelength-based image processingof the entire selected area 130 is not required, thereby minimizing thecomputational burden of each measurement.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the control processor 160 may position the lensassemblies 152 and 134 to inspect a selected area 130 lying within oneof many die 103 into which the surface of the wafer 102 is divided, eachdie constituting a single integrated circuit. After measurements havebeen taken at all the user-selected circuit features in a particularselected area 130, the control processor 160 may manipulate the lensassemblies 134, 152 (using an actuator apparatus 164) to direct thecamera vision system 150 and the micromirror array 106 to a differentarea 130′ for a new series of measurements at various user-selectedfeatures within the new area 130′. The new area 130′ may be adjacent theprior area 130 or may be located in a completely different or oppositeregion of the wafer from the prior area 130. This movement betweensuccessive large areas 130, 130′ involves a relatively slow movement ofthe micromirror array 106 and camera vision system 150 and/or the largelens assemblies 134, 152. In comparison, the action of the micromirroractuators 114 to position the various micromirrors 110 toward or awayfrom illuminating the grating 132 is nearly instantaneous.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting the command hierarchy among theprocessors 142, 156 and 160. As indicated in FIG. 3, the in-imagenavigation processor 156 is furnished with a two-dimensional image ofthe selected area 130 (from the camera vision system 150) as well as thecircuit design layout data (from the memory 158) defining the topologyof the integrated circuit features on the wafer 102. In response toidentification of a user-selected circuit feature, the processor 156identifies the pixel in the two-dimensional image corresponding to thelocation of that feature and transmits this pixel identification to thecontrol processor 160. The control processor 160 commands themicromirror array 106 to disable all the micromirrors 110 with theexception of the one micromirror corresponding to the identified pixel.The control processor 160 then commands the spectrum image processor 142to capture the spectrum image form the grating 140 and process thecaptured image to perform the desired wave-length computed measurement.

FIG. 4 is a block flow diagram depicting a method in accordance with oneembodiment. The method depicted in FIG. 4 may be carried out, forexample, by the control processor 160. Referring to FIG. 4, the user maydefine the location of the large region 130 that contains one or moreuser-selected circuit features or points at which measurements are to bemade, such as measurements of film thickness for example (block 210 ofFIG. 4). In addition, the user may specify one or more circuit featuresor point locations within the large region 130 at which measurements areto be made (block 215 of FIG. 4). The control processor 160 thencommands the camera vision system 150 to direct its field of view tocoincide with the large region 130 specified by the user (block 220 ofFIG. 4). The control processor also commands the addressable micromirrorarray 106 to direct its field of view to coincide with the large region130 (block 230 of FIG. 4). At this time, there is a one-to-onecorrespondence between image locations or pixels in the digital imageacquired by the camera vision system 150 and respective micromirrors 110in the micromirror array 106. Design data defining the circuit designtopology of the wafer 102 is provided to the in-image navigationprocessor 156 (block 235 of FIG. 4). The control processor 160 thendirects the camera vision system 150 to capture a two-dimensionalspatial image of the large region 130 (block 240 of FIG. 4) and directsthe in-image navigation processor 156 to process the two-dimensionalspatial image of the large region 130 to find the one pixel in the imagecontaining a first one of the user-selected circuit features (block 245of FIG. 4). The control processor 160 fetches the identity of that onepixel and correlates it to a particular one of the micromirrors 110(block 250 of FIG. 4). The control processor 160 then sends appropriatecommands to the micromirror array 106 (e.g., to the row and columndecoders 120, 122) to leave only the particular one micromirror orientedto direct light to the grating 132 while directing all the othermicromirrors 110 away from the grating 132 (block 260). This creates aspectral (wavelength-dispersed) image at the line sensor 140. Thecontrol processor 160 then directs the spectral image processor 142 toprocess the spectral image captured by the line sensor 140 to perform ameasurement of a characteristic such as thin film thickness at theuser-selected circuit feature (block 270 of FIG. 4).

The operations of blocks 245, 250, 260 and 270 may be repeated forsuccessive user-defined circuit features contained within the largeregion 130.

In one mode, the pixel size in the two-dimensional digital imagecaptured by the camera vision system 150 and the micromirror size andspacing may both be so fine that a given user-selected circuit featuremay occupy a neighborhood of adjacent pixels. In this case, the controlprocessor 160 may enhance signal-to-noise ratio by enabling light fromthe corresponding group of adjacent micromirrors 110 to direct light tothe grating 132, so that the single grating point 132 a receives a sumof light from the group of pixels/micromirrors 110. The signal-to-noiseratio of the resulting spectral image created by the grating 132 andcaptured by the line sensor 140 is enhanced in proportion to the numberof contributing pixels or micromirrors.

FIG. 5 depicts another embodiment in which the micromirror array 106 andthe camera vision system 150 are directed to a selected area 130 of thewafer 102 by moving the wafer rather than moving the optical componentssuch as the camera vision system 150 and the micromirror array 106. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 5, orthogonal gantry rails 310, 315 support thewafer table 104 and provide two-dimensional shifting of the wafer table104 under control of respective X-stage and Y-stage actuators 320, 325.The control processor 160 may govern the actuators 320, 325.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention,other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

1. A method of performing a measurement at a selected location or pointon the surface of a semiconductor wafer having thin film features formedin accordance with an integrated circuit design, comprising: identifyinga region of the workpiece surface containing the selected location;acquiring a two-dimensional spatial image of said region; processingsaid spatial image of said region with reference to said integratedcircuit design and with reference to said selected location, todetermine at least one pixel of said spatial image containing oradjacent said selected location; focusing an addressable micromirrorarray onto said region whereby individual micromirrors of said arrayreceive light from corresponding individual areas of said selectedregion, said selected areas corresponding to respective pixels of saidspatial image; correlating said one pixel with at least one of saidmicromirrors of said array and orienting said at least one micromirrorto reflect light from said wafer surface to a wavelength separationelement to generate a wavelength-dispersed image, and directing theremaining micromirrors to not reflect light from said wafer surface tosaid wavelength separation element; and processing said wavelengthdispersed image to deduce the value of a selected characteristic at saidselected location of said surface of said wafer.
 2. The method of claim1 wherein said selected characteristic is thin film thickness.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein each of said micromirrors corresponds to asingle pixel of said spatial image.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereineach of said micromirrors corresponds to plural neighboring pixels ofsaid spatial image.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said selectedlocation lies in pixels of said spatial image corresponding to pluralneighboring ones of said micromirrors.
 6. The method of claim 5 whereinsaid orienting said at least one micromirror comprises orienting saidplural neighboring micromirrors to reflect light from said wafer surfaceto said wavelength separation element.
 7. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid orienting said at least one micromirror to reflect light from saidwafer surface to a wavelength separation element comprises directinglight from said one micromirror to a point on said wavelength separationelement.
 8. A system for performing a measurement at a selected locationor point on the surface of a semiconductor wafer having thin filmfeatures formed in accordance with an integrated circuit design, saidsystem comprising: a camera vision apparatus adapted to capture aspatial image of a surface region of the wafer known to contain theselected location; an in-image navigation processor adapted to processsaid spatial image with data representative of said integrated circuitdesign and identify one pixel in said spatial image corresponding tosaid selected location; a wavelength separation element; a spectrumimage processor adapted to process a wavelength dispersed image fromsaid wavelength separation element and compute a quantity to bemeasured; an addressable micromirror array comprising an array ofindividually controlled micromirrors each capable of being focused on acorresponding area of said surface region to direct light therefrom tosaid wavelength separation element, whereby each of said micromirrorscorresponds to a unique pixel or group of unique pixels of said spatialimage; and a control processor adapted to correlate said one pixel withat least a corresponding one of said micromirrors and control saidmicromirror array to select said at least one micromirror to reflectlight from said wafer surface to said wavelength separation element. 9.The system of claim 8 further comprising actuation apparatus foradjusting the position of said wafer relative to said camera visionsystem and relative to said micromirror array.
 10. The system of claim 9wherein said actuation apparatus comprises: a first lens element forfocusing said camera vision apparatus on said wafer; a second lenselement for focusing said micromirror array on said wafer; actuatordevices for orienting said first and second lens elements.
 11. Thesystem of claim 9 wherein said actuation apparatus comprises atranslatable table for supporting said wafer and servos for translatingsaid table in different directions in a plane of said table.
 12. Thesystem of claim 8 wherein said micromirrors of said micromirror arrayare individually controllable in their orientation relative to saidwafer.
 13. The system of claim 8 wherein said wavelength separationelement comprises a diffraction grating.
 14. A system for performing ameasurement at a selected location or point on the surface of asemiconductor wafer having thin film features formed in accordance withan integrated circuit design, said system comprising: a camera facing asurface region of the wafer known to contain the selected location; anin-image navigation processor adapted to process an image from saidcamera with data representative of said integrated circuit design; awavelength separation element; a spectrum image processor adapted toprocess a wavelength dispersed image from said wavelength separationelement; an addressable micromirror array comprising an array ofindividually controlled micromirrors each capable of being focused on acorresponding unique area of said surface region and on a point of saidwavelength separation element; and a control processor adapted tocorrelate individual pixels of said image coinciding with said selectedlocation with corresponding one or ones of said micromirrors, and enablesaid one or ones of said micromirrors to reflect light to saidwavelength separation element.
 15. The system of claim 14 furthercomprising actuation apparatus for adjusting the position of said waferrelative to said camera vision system and relative to said micromirrorarray.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein said actuation apparatuscomprises: a first lens element for focusing said camera visionapparatus on said wafer; a second lens element for focusing saidmicromirror array on said wafer; actuator devices for orienting saidfirst and second lens elements.
 17. The system of claim 15 wherein saidactuation apparatus comprises a translatable table for supporting saidwafer and servos for translating said table in different directions in aplane of said table.
 18. The system of claim 14 wherein saidmicromirrors of said micromirror array are individually controllable intheir orientation relative to said wafer.
 19. The system of claim 14wherein said wavelength separation element comprises a diffractiongrating.